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All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of adopting double standards regarding Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s recent remarks on the River Ganga. Pathan asserted that had he made a similar statement, he would have immediately been branded as ‘anti-national’ and ‘anti-Hindu.’According to ANI, Pathan criticised the BJP, stating, “If I had given such a statement, they would have declared me an anti-national and anti-Hindu.
Raj Thackeray said he would not touch the water of Kumbh as people are falling ill due to that water. Now, what action is the BJP government taking against him? They will do nothing. If I had said this, you know what would have happened to me.
”A controversy erupted after MNS chief Raj Thackeray, while addressing thousands of party workers on the occasion of the party’s 19th foundation day, questioned the cleanliness of the River Ganga. He remarked that despite revering rivers as ‘mother,’ people have failed to maintain their sanctity. Thackeray further stated that his party leader, Bala Nandgaonkar, had brought holy water from Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh, but he refused to drink it due to concerns over its purity.
As per ANI reports, Thackeray’s statement has drawn sharp reactions from various political quarters. The remarks came in the wake of opposition parties criticising the Uttar Pradesh government over reports of contaminated water at the Maha Kumbh.Responding to the allegations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath clarified that the water quality at the Sangam in Prayagraj was safe for both drinking and bathing.
He dismissed concerns regarding contamination, putting an end to the controversy, ANI reports.Meanwhile, a report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 28 concluded that the Ganga’s water quality during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was fit for bathing. However, the CPCB noted considerable variability in the data collected at different times and locations.
According to ANI, the report, which was uploaded on the NGT’s website on March 7, stated: “As per statistical analysis, the water quality during the bathing days of Maha Kumbh 2025 at monitoring locations in River Ganga and River Yamuna in Prayagraj was fit for bathing under Primary Water Quality Criteria.”(With inputs from ANI).
